Publication Date: 02-21-2026

Goat (2026) review

Dir. Adam Rosette and Tyree Dillihay

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★½

If you would’ve told me a year ago that I would be excited to see an animated movie about a basketball-playing goat, I would’ve said you know me too well. If you would’ve told me said movie would be an early contender for one of the best, most inspired films of the year, I would’ve told you to pump the brakes.

It’s all gas from here on out. Goat is a tremendous achievement, not only for its screenwriters, but the legion of Sony animators who make this a dazzling picture. The film takes place in a city called Vineland, and essentially erects a working class neighborhood of the animal kingdom. Living up to its name, vines are draped all around crumbling infrastructure, and seem, at times, to be holding the city upright. Between those cracks exist bustling city-life, featuring critters of every creed coexisting amidst gangly streetball courts, low-lit living spaces, and basketball (the sport is known as “Roarball” here) arenas that take on lives and cultures of their own. It’s a dystopia the characters have proudly made their own. What a treat this movie is to see on a big screen, where at times even its perimeter appears barely capable of containing the sheer artistry on display.

An underdog sports movie with a hip-hop edge, Goat revolves around Will Harris (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin), a young Boer goat who, in the opening scene, finally gets to see his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, thanks to his single mother. Will has dreams of playing for the Thorns despite his diminutive stature, commanding a team like his idol, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union), a towering panther with shimmery fur. Will’s mother believes in her son, even if he is a “small” in a world filled with animals who appear to be 50-feet in stature. Ten years later, mom has passed away, and Will spends a great deal of time delivering for the diner at which she used to work. One day, he sneaks away to shoot hoops by himself on a local court known as the “Cage” when he runs into Maine Attraction (Aaron Pierre), a trash-talking horse who rocks dreadlocks. Maine whoops Will, but not before Will can break his ankles with a couple of crafty checks that lead to him sinking a few shots. The viral clips of Will taking on Maine catches the attention of Flo (Jenifer Lewis), the warthog owner of the Thorns, a team that’s been perpetually mediocre despite Jett’s accomplished play. Getting a “small” on the team would be something crazy enough to get butts in seats, and liven up an otherwise dispirited team.

Like Vineland, the Thorns are comprised of various animals, and director Tyree Dillihay lets them be animals too. Nicola Coughlan voices an ostrich named Olivia, who buries her head in the sand whenever she makes a mistake in the game. There’s also Modo (Nick Kroll), a strange but hilarious Komodo Dragon with a pierced nose and tongue ala Dennis Rodman; Archie (David Harbour), the rhino enforcer of the team; and Lenny (NBA star Stephen Curry, who is also one of the film’s producers) a journey-giraffe who has played for several teams. These animals can barely be considered role-players on their own team due to Jett’s ball-dominant tendencies. Even the timid, baboon coach (Patton Oswalt) is rendered powerless to lead. Even when Will is introduced via press conference, he waits multiple games before being allowed to make his debut.

While the narrative is your predictable underdog sports formula, the hyper-realistic animation takes every opportunity to make an impression. The film puts you under its immersive spells in which every court is its own biome, be it the jungle home court in Vineland or, at one point, a frozen arena where the court itself is made of breakable ice. The courts themselves come alive, some with stalactites, others with volcanic lava oozing from the ground. Not just simple eye candy, writers Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley let the animal players interact with the elements, making for an experience that is unmistakably lived-in.

Gabrielle Union comes alive as the selfish Jett, and her friction with the fan-favorite Will further adds to the complexity of her character, who is a pillar of the community despite her self-indulgent ways. There’s a scene where her and Will make the trek to the aforementioned diner, where she shares sports stories with patrons (including one that is a hilarious send-up of Michael Jordan’s infamous “Flu Game“). It leads to Will telling Jett about his mother and how much he meant to her. This momma’s boy adores any film that wears its heart on its sleeve about the special bond between a mother-and-son, especially one that tackles legacy when the elder parent is no longer with us.

Beyond Union, the voice-cast is as diverse as the animals themselves. Steph Curry turns in a delightful performance as a rapping giraffe; his wife, Ayesha, plays the llama owner of the diner. Jelly Roll pops up as a brutish grizzly bear. Sherry Cola and Eduardo Franco are Will’s aardwolf and capybara friends, respectively, and pepper in some humor by using Will’s goat “baaa” as a rallying cry. Other current-and-former NBA players like Dwyane Wade, Kevin Love, and Andre Iguodala, as well as WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese, pop up in vocal cameos as well.

The soundtrack also comes alive with a great deal of pop and hip-hop bangers, some of which originals, performed by various characters. Maine Attraction pens a diss song in Will’s direction called “Goat Tears,” which is hysterically funny. The Thorns create a banger of their own called “That’s My Squad.” TikTok piano player Bryant Barnes delivers a knockout punch cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” and we’re sent home with an original from Jelly Roll. A random aside, but the only omission, I’d argue, is BigXthaPlug voicing one of the characters or loaning his deep southern vocals to a track.

Goat is absolutely tremendous: creatively written, visually gorgeous, underscored by banger songs, laudably funny, and a candidate for one of the best films of 2026, no qualifier necessary.

Voiced by: Caleb McLaughin, Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Stephen Curry, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Jelly Roll, Jennifer Hudson, Sherry Cola, Eduardo Franco, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Wayne Knight, Ayesha Curry, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Love, Andre Iguodala, A’ja Wilson, and Angel Reese. Directed by: Tyree Dillihay.